Scale-relieving gear.



Patented July 19, 1910.

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A. W. EPRIGHT.

SCALE EELIEVING GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED snm'. 18, 1909.

Patented July 19,1910.

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LIEVING GEAR. FILED SEPT. 18, 1909.

Patented July 19,1910.

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A. W. EPRIGHT.

SCALE RELIEVING GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18, 1909.

964,854. Patented July 19, 1910.

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INVENTOR M MO WIZZS E S BY M j 5 ATTORNEY ,UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

I ALONZO' W. EPRIG-HT, OF ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO HIMSELF, ONE-THIRD TO AXEL S.

.AL'IOONAl, PENNSYLVANIA.

To-cll it may concern: Be iknown that I, ALONZO W. EPRIGHT,

a citizen of the United States of America,

residing in Altoona, in the county of Blair and Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Scale-Relieving Gear, of which the following is a true and exact description, reference or which it is not desired to weigh pass over,

the scale. For instance, it is highly desirable if not absolutely necessary, to avoid subjecting the 'scale levers and pivot bearings of an ordinary railway car scale to the Weight of the locomotives employed for moving the cars.

I-Ieretofore in the case of railway car scales, it hasbeen common to provide a separate track for the locomotive, the track having its rails laterally displaced a few inches from the rails of the car track and being supported independently of the scale levers. \Vith my invention, when the relieving gear is brought into operation, locomotives may be passed with impunity over the car track proper of the scale and hence the necessity for a separate locomotive track is avoided. The omission of a separate locomotive track is a convenience andreduces the expense of construction, and the omission of this track also facilitates the rapid handling of the cars to be weighed. It frequently happens also, that it is necessary' or desirable to weigh only a comparatively small proportion of the cars composinga train. In such cases the ability to pass the cars one after the other over the scale platformsupported track sectionwithout subjecting the scale levers and hearings to wear and shock from the passage of thecars notm eighed and without requiring any backing or switching of cars or other in-'.

p i Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed September 18,1909. Serial No. 518,370.

.VOGT, AND ONE-THIRD TO JOHN BO'USFIELD, 0F

SGALE-RELIEVING GEAR...

- terference with the regular travel of the cars over the scale forms an important and highly desirable feature.

The various features of novelty which characterize my invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, however, and the advantages possessed by it, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which I have illustrated one of the forms in which the invention may be embodied.

()f the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of the scale with the scale levers and the floor covering them removed to facilitate an understanding of the parts shown. Fig. 2 is a partial sectional elevation of a portion of one of the relieving jacks employed. Fig.

3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a portion-of the scale shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional elevation, on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, showing a portion of the scale mechanism. Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional elevation on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1,'with the scale levers partly omitted and Patei'ited July '19, 1910.

partly shown indotted lines in order not to complicate the showing of the relieving gear. Fig. is apartial sectional elevation on the line 7-7 of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a partial section on-the line 8,-8 of Fig. 1. Fig.

9 is a partial section on the line 99 of Fig. l,.and Fig. 10 is a plan showing a detail of construction. g y 4 In the drawings, A represents thewall of the scale pit, B the fulcrum blocks or pedestals supporting the transverse scale levers O and the longitudinal scale levers vD, on which in turn the scale platform is supported. As shown, the scale platform proper comprises the mainlongitudinal beamsE, arranged one beneath each track rail E cross braces or members E connecting the beams E, cross ties E and chairs E projecting through openings in. the stationary floorF and supporting the trackrails.

E above the flooring F; The flooring F is supported on stationary'beams F supported at their endsby the walls of the scale pit.

- In the track scale shown, the platform beams are supported at intervals alongth'eirlength .on members H supported through knife edge pivot connections H by the evers C. The latter are fulcrumed on the appropriate fulcrum blocks B by the knife edge pivot bearings C. The long ends of .pushed onto the" stem.

the levers C are connected to the appro priate levers D by connections which include the knife edge pivot D and C Each-lever D, at the end of the scale, is fulcrumed at D and is connected to one end-of the corresponding intermediate lever B by connections D including a plurality of knife edge pivot bearings and the intermediate levers D are connected to the .scale beam as indicated in part at D by connections including a plurality of knife edge pivot bearings.

The means employed for taking the weight of the scale platform and its load off the scale levers and the various knife edgebearings comprises a plurality of lifting jacks I and means for simultaneously oper-- ating them. In the form shown, each jack I comprises a stationary frame member having a yoke like upper portion in which is slidingly received a plunger J. Each plunger J is provided, in the form'shown, with a plurality of oil grooves J and is formed at its upper end with a vertical socketJ in which is received the stem J of a cap piece J. Washers J are placed between the underside of the cap piece J and the upper end of the plunger J. As shown, the stem J 3 is in the form of a flattened cylinder, and a 'notch J G is formed in one side of each washer. The width of the notch J 6 is less than the diameter of the cylinder hole in the washer, but is great enough to receive the flattened stem J 3 when the parts are in the relation shown in Fig. 3. The diameter of the central hole in the washer is great enough to permit the washer to be turned on. the stem J and thereby locked in place after the washer has been The lower end of each plunger J is pivotally connected to the upper one of a pair of toggle link members K. The lower end of the lower toggle link member K is pivotally connected to the frame member of the jack. The two link members K of .eachtoggle are pivotally connectedtoeach other and to a pair of bars ,L. The'jacks I are arranged in pairs at intervals along the length of the scale platform with the plunger J of one jack of each pair beneath one of the scale platform beams E, and the plunger J of the other jack of the pair underthe other beam E. At one 'side of the scale the bars L'are extended through the frames of the corresponding jacks and are pivotally connected to arms M secured to a rock shaft M. The rock shaft M is journaled in bearing blocks M firmly anchored in place at the bottom ofthe scale pit and extends parallel to the length of the scale. Between its ends the rock a shaft M, is provided with an arm M: which ton stem N of a fluid pressure actuating valve casing O, and the latter is connected in turn by pipe 0 to a source of fluid under pressure, as compressed air, and to an exhaust pipe 0.. handle 0 of the valve 0, either end of the cylinder of the device N may be connected to'the supply pipe 0 while at the'same time the opposite end of the cylinder is connected to exhaust. By manipulating the handle 0 of the valve 0', the rock shaft may thus be thrown in one direction to move the plunger J into engagement with the beams E and lift the platform and its load off the scale levers, or in the other direction 'to permit the weight of the scale platform and its load to be taken by the scale the knuckle joints. of the links K.

By turning the operating.

. levers. Stop lugs I limit the movements of In order to insure the possibility of opcrating the relieving gear when the power connections for effecting this operation fail, as from alack, at any time, of a sufficient supply of compressed air or other operating fluid, I prefer to make provisions for. the operation of the relieving gear by hand. In theform of the apparatus shown, a connecting rod P is provided which may be quickly connected to, or disconnected from, the lever arm M The rod P is connected to a suitable hand lever mechanism suitably disposed and arranged to have sufficient stroke of its actuating member proper to insure the proper lifting force for moving the platform through the very slight vertical distance necessary to relieve the scale bearings and levers from the weight of the platform and its load. To facilitate this the pivot pin M, by "which the. connecting rod N and lever arm M are pivotally connected, is extended at the opposite sides of thelever M to form trunnions, and the rod P has threaded on its end adjacent the shaft M a member P provided with bifurcations P adapted to straddle the lever M The bifur-cations P of the member P, are formed with slots P open at their lower ends so" that when the rod P is in the dotted line position shown in Fig. 'I the trunnion like extensions or ends of the pivot pin M are received in the slots P and the rod P is operatively connected to the lever arm M The rod P may be readily disconnected from the lever arm M by merely raising the rod P into the full line position shown in Fig. 7.

.In the preferred construction illustrated, the hand mechanism'includes a bell crank lever Q, to one arm of which the rod P is pivotally connected. The connecting rod R is'pivotally connected at its lower end to the second arm of the bell crank lever Q, and

at its upper end is pivotally connected at S to the operating lever S proper. The lever S is located in the scale office and the bell crank lever Q is located in an offset or bay portion A of the scale pit. The bell crank lever@ is supported in a bracket-like member Q which is firmly anchored at the bottom of the scale pit, and the connecting rod It extends in a substantially vertical direction. To insure sufficient freedom of '10 lateral movement, the connecting rod R is not connected directly to the bell crank lever Q, but is pivotally'connected at R to a member Q, which is sleeved on the corresponding arm of the lever Q. The fulcrum or support S to which the lever S is pivotally connected at S is mounted on beams S ,As the connecting rod R is relatively long and the lateral movement of the rod in a plane parallel to that in which the section of Fig; 7 is taken, is slight, the spring of the rod R and the'looseness of the pivotal.

connections make it unnecessary .in practice to provide any special pivotal connection between the rod R and lever S to accommodate such lateral movement,

The means employed for raising and lowering the rod P to free it from and connect it to the lever arm M comprises a rock shaft T mounted on pedestals T and having an arm T carrying at its free end a roll T dotted into the full line crank lever U journaled on the shaft Qfi.

adapted to engage the rod P and lift it from the dotted line. position shown in Fig. 7 into the full line position shown in that figure when the lever arm T is moved from the ositions of that figure. To rotate the sha t T, the latter is provided with an arm T connected by a connecting rod T made adjustable in length by the turnbuckle T, to one arm of a bell The second arm ofthe bell crank leveriU is connected to the lower end of a rod U provided with an operating handle U at its upper end'by means of which the bell crank lever U maybe turned on its axis to produce corresponding movements of the shaft Tand arm T The handle U projects up into the scale otl'ice through a ide U located between the same pair 0 beains S onwhich the lever mechanism S is mounted.

It will be ob'vious'that the hand operating mechanism described is simple, effective,

therefor.

ine'chanism consists in the fact that the effectiveleverage of the lever S increases and reliable, and is conveniently disposed with respect to the scale proper and theotlice An important feature of this into the position X.

ijecting the scale levers and to the position X, than moved from the This is as it should be, for during the:

early stage of the lever movement until the center S reaches the point X, the effect of the movement is merely to take up lost motion and to bring the plungers of the lifting jacks into effective engagement with the scale platform. During the movement from X to 'X, the platform is being lifted. The amount of lift necessary to give to the platform proper is very slight, and the leverage is of -such character that the scale platform,-eve1i when a heavy car is on it, may be readily given the desired movement through the hand lever S. Preferably, the parts are so arranged that the center of pivot S may be moved beyond the )Oll'lt X to the point X whereby the lever is automatically locked by the pull of the rod R against accidental return movement.

It willbe obvious to all those skilled in the art that the relieving gear disclosed is simple, eflective, reliable, and well adapted for the purpose for which it is designed. The connections for simultaneously operating the various lifting jacks are so arranged to insure the proper application of power to each jack with a minimum of the lost motion fatal to proper and rapid operation. Any

' inequality in the shape of the beams E or 111 the dimensions or settings of individual acks may be quickly and easily compensated for by inserting or removing one or more of the thin washers J The relieving gear can with suflicient rapidity be'thrown into and out of operation to permit-the weighing of any particular cars of a train passing over the scale with the proper velocity to permit rapid but accurate weighing without subearings to the Weight of the cars which it is "not desired to weigh. The hand mechanism for operating the relieving gear may be coupledto the latter or disconnected therefrom -easily and I quickly when'necessary or desirable.

While, in accordance with the provisions of the statutes, Ilhave herein described and illustrated the best formof the invention now known tome, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes can be made in the form of the apparatus disclosed without departing'from the spirit of my invention, and I do not wish the claims herein made to be limited to the-particular embodiment of the invention disclosed more than is 'made necessary by the state of the art.

Having'now described my invention, what; 1 I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is r q 1. In a railway car scale, the combination with the platform and supporting, levers therefor, of means for supporting the 2 weight of the platform and its load'indeJ 'pendently ofsthe levers, comprising a plurality of toggle lifting jacks each having a plunger formed with a central socket in its upper end and a cap piece formed with a stem ,o -f the platformand its load independentlyentering said socket, and washers' formed-l form and its load independently of said with notches through which the cap stem may be passed whereby the effective length of said plunger may be adjusted by the insertion' and removal of Washers without the removal of the cap-piece, and means engaging the toggle links of the various jacks whereby said jacks may-be simultaneously operated. A r

2. In a railway car scale the combination with a platform and supporting leverstherefor, of means for supporting the weight of;

theplatform and its load independentlyof the levers, comprising a plurality of toggle lifting jacks arran ed in pa rs at intervals,

along the" length 0 the scale with one jack of each pair .at. each side of the scale and with the links of the jacks turning in planes transverse to the lengthfiof the scale, a rock shaft extending parallel, to the length of the scale, bars connecting the knuckle joints of the links of each pair of jacks, and connec-' tions between said bars and said rock shafts.

3. In a railway car scale, the combination with "the platform and operating levers therefor, of means for supporting the weight "of its levers, comprising a plurality of lift- 111g jacks, a single operating device for simultaneously operating all of said jacks,-

- and connections whereby said device may be and said shaft.

interchangeably operated by a power mechanism and by a hand operated mechanism.

4. In a railway car scale, the combination with the platform and. supporting levers therefor, of means for supporting the platform and its load independently of said levers, comprising a plurality of lifting jacks, a rock shaft extending longitudinally of said platform}connections between said shaft and said jacks whereby the rotation of said shaft operates all of said jacks, and a lever mechanism including .an operating .member at one side of the platform for manually rotating said shaft.

5. In a railway car-scale, the combination with the platform and supporting levers therefor, of means for supporting the plat form and its load independently of said levers, comprising a plurality of lifting jacks, a rock shaft extending longitudinally 'of said platform, connections bet-ween said shaft and said jacks whereby the rotation of said" shaft operatesall of said jacks, a lever mechanism including an operating member located at one side of the platform for manually rotating said shaft, and a second lever mechanism including an operating member located adjacent the first mentioned operating memberifor connecting and disconnecting said first mentioned lever mechanism 6. In a railway car scale, the combination with the platform and supporting levers therefor, means for'supporting the platlevers, comprising a plurality of lifting jacks, a sha for operating said jacks, connections between said shaft and said jacks, a lever .mechanism including a connecting rod for manually actuating said member,

said member and connecting rod having cooperative provisions whereby said rod may be detachably connected to, and disconnected from, said member.

7. In a railway oar' scale, the combination with the'platform and supporting levers therefor, of means for supporting'the platform and its load independent of said levers,

lever mechanism com rising an operatingmember atone s1de o the platform, and a connecting rod, said arm and rod being formed, the one with a projection and the other with a hook adapted to take over said projection whereby the arm and rod ma be readily connected to and disconnected rom each other. T

' 8, In a railway car scale, the combinatio with the platform and supporting levers therefor, of means for supporting the platform and its load independently of said levers, comprising a plurality of lifting jacks, a rock shaft extending longitudinally vof said platform, connections between said shaft and said jacks whereby the rotation of the shaft operates all of said jacks, an opcrating arm secured to said shaft and a lever mechanism for manually rotating said shaft,

said lever mechanism comprising an operating member, at one side of the platform, and a connecting rod, said arm and rod being formed, the one with a projection and the other with a hook adapted to take over said projection whereby the arm and -rod may be readily connected to and disconnected from each other, and a second lever mechanism comprising an operating member. located ad acent the operating member of the first mentioned lever mechanlsm and pro vided with an arm adapted to engage said the rotation of the rod and 'move it out of engagement with 'said arm.

9. Ina railway car scale, the combination with the platform and su portin levers, of means for lifting the plat orm o the levers, said means comprisin a pivoted arm, a power device connecte thereto for oscillating said arm on'its pivotal support, and a lever mechanism including a connecting rod,

for manually oscillating said arm, said arm and rod being formed, the one with a projection and the other with a hook adapted to take over'said projection, whereby said rod and arm may be connected to and disconnected from each other.

10. In a railwa car scale, the combination with the" atform and supportin levers, of means or lifting the platform 0 the levers, said means comprising a pivoted arm, a power device connected thereto for oscillating said arm on its pivotal support, and a lever mechanism, including a connecting rod, for manually oscillating said arm, said arm and rod being formed, the one with a rojection and the other with a hook adapted to take over said projection, where by said rod and arm may be connected to; and disconnected from, each other, and a 15 lever mechanism for moving said rod to cause the rod and arm to be connected to and disconnected from each other.

. ALONZO W. EPRIGHI.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. A. Bowman, ADAM LEAKE. 

